Like Mother Like Daughter
by Laura Ann Yates
Summary: Nikki is keeping a secret. What is this secret and how does it help bring Harry/Nikki closer together. PART OF THE SECRETS IN THE LAB CHALLENGE.
1. Katherine

**I thought I'd write something for my own challenge.**

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><p>Nikki groaned and buried her head under her pillow in a vain attempt to drown out the loud shrill of her alarm clock which flashed 6:30am at her. Well, her pillow. Nikki had always hated having the early shift when she'd had a late shift the day before; five hours sleep was never enough for a woman.<p>

Realising that if she didn't get up now, she never would, Nikki removed her head from under the pillow, jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom so she could shower before work.

_Being a woman is too much work sometimes_, Nikki mused as she jumped in her car at 8:30 and drove to work.

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><p>"Morning" Nikki beamed at her colleagues when she arrived at work half an hour later.<p>

"Morning Nikki, case for you." Leo replied, holding out a piece of paper for her as she put her coat on that had only been removed seconds earlier.

"Ok. Thanks." She smiled at Leo, before turning to Harry "Not fighting me for this case? Are you ill?"

"No. I have one of my own." Harry told her as he picked up a file and headed in the direction of the cutting room.

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><p>An hour and half later, Harry was back at his desk typing up his PM notes when a young girl wandered through the doors. This was unusual as the only way you could get through the doors to the offices was with a swipe card or if you knew the code. He looked at her as she wandered over to his desk, trying to think of where he had seen her before or at least who she reminded him of.<p>

"Hi. Erm, is my mum around?" She asked.

"Sorry but I'm erm..."Harry trailed off, not wanting to sound rude.

"Sorry, you'll probably know her as Nikki. Nikki Alexander?"

"Yes, she went to a crime scene about 2 hours ago now. She should be back soon." Harry replied not have registered what the girl had called Nikki in the first place. "Wait. Did you just call Nikki mum? You're her daughter?"

"Yeah. I'm Katherine by the way."

"Harry Cunningham." He reached out a hand for her to shake as he took in her appearance. She had Nikki's eyes to match a smile he didn't recognise. Her hair, despite being dark brown, almost black, was Nikki's too. She wore a black t-shirt which read 'she died of love' in simple capital letters, almost as if no real thought had gone into the design. Her legs wore a pair of burgundy skinny jeans which looked as if they held a velvety touch. Her feet showed off a pair of black, suede, peep-toe wedges. Protecting her shoulder from the red marks her small leather handbag would leave was a black blazer with bold, white edges. Both heads turned as they heard a voice in the door way. "Shit"

"MUM!" Katherine screamed as she dropped her bag to the floor and ran over to Nikki, flinging her arms around her neck as she reached her. Harry watched mother and daughter as Nikki wrapped her arms around Katherine's back and hugged her back.

"What are you doing here?" Nikki asked as she sat Katherine down at her desk before wandering round to Harry's and sitting on his knee before he could protest.

"You never told me you had a daughter" Harry whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her still. Nikki shushed him as she listened to her daughter's reply.

"I start at the university next week. I'm studying medicine." Katherine beamed, knowing that her mother would be proud of her. "Are you two going out or something?"

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><p><strong>This is only going to be a twothree MAYBE four parter. I have nor the time or the effort to be bothered with anything longer, which makes me feel bad as I still need to finish Teenage Dreams...**

**It WILL get done, but when I finish it is a little like the Series 15 air dates. Still unknown.**


	2. If You Don't I Will

**You're getting two chapters now because I had a 2 hour break at college with nothing better to do. **

**I have just added some now as I it was rather short.  
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><p>"What!" "No." Harry and Nikki replied in unison.<p>

"Really?"

"Yes, really, Katie. Now, where I are you staying?" Nikki said bluntly.

"At the moment, in a hotel. My stay ends there tomorrow though." Katherine told them, hoping that her mum would take the hint. She had seen the student accommodation that was available and to say it was disgusting was giving it a compliment. Katie took the break in the conversation to observe the way her mother had leant into Harry's arms more than was perhaps acceptable for 'best friends' as her mum had claimed they were in her many emails.

"Where's Leo gone?" Nikki turned in Harry's arm to face him, both parties missing the look they received from the young woman sat across from them.

"He got a phone call just after you'd gone to your scene then he left; without his brief case."

"Get your mind out of the gutter Harry." Nikki scolded him. "Just because Leo left the office without his brief case, doesn't mean he's doing what you're thinking he is."

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><p>"And where have you been? If me or Nikki were to leave in the middle of the day without saying anything, we'd get told off." Harry teased Leo as soon as he returned. "Not doing community service for DUI again are you?"<p>

"Don't be ridiculous Harry." Leo scoffed as he looked out into the office to see a young girl with Nikki. "Who's that with Nikki? I didn't think the deceased on her case had any family to speak of?"

"Oh, that's Katherine. Nikki's secret-but not-so-secret-anymore daughter." Harry said casually as Leo spluttered up his coffee over Harry.

"Nikki has a daughter?"

"Yup. She seems alright though. I'm going to quiz her about it tonight."

"Oh, are you two... you know? Together?"

"You're the second person to ask that today. Katie asked us earlier; and for the record, no we're not."

"Well, you better do something about it soon. She's not going to wait forever for you."

"I have no idea what you are on about Leo. I really don't." Harry knew he was wasting his breath by denying his feelings. These days he wore his feelings for everyone to see and he was surprised that Nikki hadn't figured things out by now.

"Oh, come on Harry. You must be blind, incredibly stupid or both not to know how you feel about her. Just do something about it or I will." Leo told his younger colleague

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><p>"You know Leo asked if we were together earlier." Harry said as Nikki leaned back into his chest. Harry and gone to Nikki's that evening. He had cooked for them, while Nikki and Katie washed up. The three of them where now retired to the living room.<p>

Katie shook her head at her mother and Harry as she stood opposite them. "Right, I'm off to my room to watch TV and if you haven't told each other how you feel and sorted yourselves out by the time I come back in an hour, I'll do it for you." Katie burst out before turning and walking into the room Nikki had given her while she was at the university.

"I think Leo and Katie have some sort of psychic connection" Harry joked, running a soothing hand over Nikki's hair

"What do you mean?" Nikki was confused. Leo had never met Katie before.

"Well, today they've both asked me if we're together and now they've both said that if we don't do anything soon then they will."

"I guess we better talk then." Nikki said as she turned on Harry's knee and straddled him.

"Yup. Well, most of the talking has already been done for us so, how about we start with Katie's story and we can say what is left to say later?."

"Ok. You comfortable?" Nikki felt Harry nod against the side of her head so she began her tale.

**Things will be said about their feelings and Nikki's explanation on Katie will be in the next chapter which you will get by the end of the week. **

**I hope. **

**Maybe.  
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	3. His Name Was Bradley

**Ok this chapter is going to be a little different. Since most of it is going to be Nikki talking. I thought I'd do it completely from Nikki's point of view and anything that Harry says is going to be written in italics and any actions and Katie talking will be underlined. Please let me know if you follow this chapter. If you don't, then I will happily change it back to how I usually write.**

**Yes, I know you're getting this earlier than I expected, but I decided to get up early today and write it for you. I gave up my usual Wednesday lay in for you guys.**

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><p>I was 17. It was August, just after my birthday when I found out. I'd just finished my first year in college. I was in the park with my friends, Maddie and Emma when their boyfriends and another guy came along. My friends and their guys were just sat there kissing while me and this other guy just; talked I guess. He seemed nice enough and none of the others were paying any interest in us so we got talking.<p>

We met again at Maddie's birthday party a few weeks later and got talking again. We got a little drunk and one thing led to another. We started kissing but we were sober enough not fall into bed; just yet anyway. His name was Bradley. He had the most amazing smile. His eyes were as green as the grass and his hair was the darkest brown; like Katie's. Anyway, Emma's birthday was the week after and again she had a party. Bradley and I got a little drunker than we did at Maddie's party and we kind of well... Fell into bed.

I found out 2 months later when I'd missed one month and was late the next. Dad had chucked me out just after I turned 17; something about fending for myself; so I was living with Bradley and his parents anyway; I never told my dad, he still doesn't know that he's a grandfather, I figured that he didn't deserve to know. They helped me a lot; Emma, Maddie, Bradley and his parents, I couldn't have done it without them. Her birthday is June 17th.

_So it was just a drunken fling then?_

No. I loved him. I really did. But I knew that she would be better off staying with Bradley and his parents, instead of coming to Oxford when I went to uni. We kept in touch, me and Bradley, we emailed, called and when Katie was old enough to understand we told her everything. She stayed with her dad but called me every weekend.

_And where is he now? This Bradley guy?_

I don't know. Katie used to live in Manchester before coming here so I guess he's still there.

_Right. Well, I erm... I don't really know what to say._

It's OK. I guess we should talk about the other thing.

_Yeah. Would it help if I told you I love you?_

It would yeah.

_Would it also help if I did this?_

Harry leant forward and captured Nikki's lips under his. It wasn't awkward; it wasn't messy, like they both expected it to be. It wasn't their first either. That happened a few years ago in a little pub, just outside of London.

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><p><span>After the hour was up, Katie wandered back into the room to find her mother and Harry locked in a tender embrace. "Well, I see you've talked things through then" She said, announcing her presence in the room and that their hour was up.<span>

Sort of.

"What do you mean sort of? Either you have or you haven't and from what I just saw, you have." Katie laughed. _Adults can be SO stupid sometimes_, she thought.

_She means that most of the talking had already been done for us so she told me about you and your dad. When we were done, I said I love her and we kissed._

Yes, but you never gave me the chance to say it back.

_Well do it then._

I love you.

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><p><strong>I think that this is a good place to end it? I know that there isn't much Leo in it like I said in my challenge but I really couldn't find a way to include him.<strong>


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